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Werewolves
Werewolves, also known as Lycanthropes, are shapeshifters afflicted with the curse of lycanthropy. They are found throughout the Void, but are particularly notable on the Realm of Mir. The Curse Werewolves are afflicted with a curse known as Lycanthropy. The curse is believed to have been created by fairies, possibly the Fairy King himself, Oberon. It is thought by scholars on Mir to be a refined form of the Luna effect that The Woods have on people. Others think it comes from something even more primal, the primeval spirit of the Hunt, or the Wolf. Still more consider it a curse of the Gods. Whatever the source, the curse of Lycanthropy is an infectious disease. Once someone contracts it there are cures and removals, initially, but when the full change has occurred there is no longer any known cure. A bite or scratch from one Werewolf spreads the curse of Lycanthropy to the victim, causing it to course through the body. The curse lays mostly dormant at this point, though it is known to cause sudden outbursts and more animalistic tendancies, especially at night. The change becomes truly irreversable in the light of the full moon, which causes the first true change into the beast. With the change complete, Werewolves are capable of changing at will, though it is a tiring process that causes them to expend a lot of energy, leading most Werewolves to consume massive amounts of flesh from whatever they can find and kill. Indeed, possibly the only reason that entire nations have not fallen to Lycanthropy is the Werewolf's tendency to kill people instead of only infecting them, leading to only survivors contracting the Curse. Physical Description Werewolves are much more bestial than the near humanoid Otaga, and even more savage than the mad Wolven. While their unaltered form rarely gives any hint of their true nature, when they transform they are true monsters. A werewolf grows to a greater size, usually several feet taller than their normal shape, taking on wolf features. While bipedal, many Werewolves take to leaning forward, turning their run into a lope, and often going down on to all fours when chasing or charging something. There are rarities, however, cases of exceedingly great creatures. The largest Werewolf ever heard of became almost completely wolf, though the creature was over ten feet long and stood up to a human's height. Strengths and Weaknesses Werewolves are extremely strong, fast, and resilient, able to shrug off and regenerate from most attacks, even those of firearms, and kill their attackers long before they have a chance to reload. Even an ordinary Werewolf's strength is such that they can rip an Orc or Dwarf limb from limb with little difficulty. The only known weaknesses a werewolf suffers are silver, which burns their flesh at the touch, and wolfsbane, which acts as a poison to them, deadly in the right amounts. The only other way hunters advise to fight them is to hunt the beast down when it is not transformed, and kill it while it is weak. While questionable as a weakness, all Werewolves must transform in the light of the full moon, whether they wish to or not. This can make hiding their true nature quite difficult. Affiliation The largest majority of Werewolves in the Void are independent. Many of them try to hide their nature, only transforming when the moon forces the change upon them. Others have become feral, dwelling far from society and living like animals even in their humanoid form. Many Werewolves however dwell in or otherwise serve the Fairy realm of Solas Gealai, home of the Court of the Unseelie and seat of King Oberon. Most of these are unwilling slaves, forced by a geas into service, except for the Skraelings. Skraelings The Skraeling clan were originally Northerners from the Plane of Mir, who traveled far to the West of the Sea of Scales. They were never heard from by their kin in the Northlands again, but were secretly taken in by the Unseelie Court and made into vassals. Most of the clan became Werewolves, while the rest were made slaves and servants to the clan heads. Skraelings recruit from mighty warriors, turning them in to Werewolves to serve the Court and its dark king. Notable Werewolves Fritz & Willem Two Werewolf brothers on Mir, operating out of The Woods itself. The pair were hunters who foolishly chased a deer into The Woods one day. The deer took them across the path of a particularly sadistic Lycanthrope, which decided to destroy their bows and bite each brother, infecting them. After that it dragged them to the edge of The Woods, where a search party found them. The two were nursed back to health in their village until the light of a full moon caused the change, leading to a slaughter. With no place else to go the brothers returned to The Woods, and found themselves indentured to a Witch. See Also Index of Races Court of the Unseelie Weresharks - another type of cursed shapeshifters. Category:Unseelie